Korean wave hits our shores

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea hopes to ride the "Korean wave" of the past few years;in which Korean actors and musicians have achieved Asia-wide popularity;with its second annual Mini Korean Film Festival. Alexandra Wood, assistant to the consul general, said by phone that the aim is to "bring attention to Korean culture and Korean heritage, especially in the Lower Mainland, where there's so many Korean immigrants and Korean students".

Wood says the six films being shown at the Vancity Theatre this weekend (June 15 to 17) were chosen because they represent a variety of genres, including romance, thriller, and comedy, and show various facets of Korean culture.

The festival, part of explor ­ASIAN and coinciding with the Korean Heritage Day Festival at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam on Saturday (June 16), kicks off with two South Korean box-office hits. The King and the Clown (June 15, 6 p.m.);a 16th-century drama with homosexual undertones; will be followed by Joint Security Area (JSA) (8:30 p.m.), a present-day thriller that follows a team investigating the shooting of two North Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

All of the films are in Korean with English subtitles. Entrance is free (only 19 years and older admitted), with seating on a first-come basis. For a list of movies and times, see www.explorasian.org/ or contact the consulate at 604-681-9581, ext. 708.

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